Biden was not looking at his watch. He was looking at his son.

[wellst0nev0ter]

Last edited Mon Sep 6, 2021, 03:57 PM - Edit history (2)

If we're going to win the information war against the right-wing noise machine, we need to have the political courage to say that certain Gold Star families are full of shit.




Do you see the picture? Biden was clearly wearing the rosary beads that belonged to his deceased son Beau. He was probably saying a silent prayer as he witnessed the coffin being conveyed by the soldiers




Biden always carries Beau's rosary on his left wrist. This is public knowledge, yet the right wing media and traditional media has decided to air these lies without pushback.

Here is the video of one Gold Star father, Darin Hoover, who did NOT even attend the ceremony, saying that Biden looked at his watch "for every single one that came out of that airplane."

?t=301

Timestamp 5:01

Of course Biden looked at his left wrist every single time. Every single one of those service members reminded him of his son.

Of course, Biden is too decent of a man to use his son for political cover from this blowback he's getting, and potentially put grieving Gold Star families on blast. Biden tried to call the other Gold Star father, Mark Schmitz, to personally reach out to him and clear up any misconceptions privately, but Schmitz pointedly rejected that call.

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/04/us/politics/biden-beau-afghanistan.html

When Biden tried to make a connection with Schmitz by talking about his own son Beau, Schmitz didn't want to hear it.

Mark Schmitz did not vote for Biden, according to the Washington Post. That should tell you the motivations behind sliming the president on Fox News without hearing his side of the story.

https://12ft.io/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-meeting-fallen-americans-families/2021/08/30/07ecff7c-09ac-11ec-a6dd-296ba7fb2dce_story.html

People grieve in their own ways. But that is no excuse to damage a man already wounded by the loss of his son. Everyone who criticized Biden for "checking his watch" owes him an apology. Until they do that, I will not stop calling them out.

[ARPad95]

1. It's so sad he has to endure these vicious lies and maintain decorum because of

the office he holds. Thank goodness he has Dr. Biden to soothe his suffering heart.

[MrModerate]

17. Apparently having your kid die in the military...

Doesn't convert you into a saint or even a paragon of virtue.

[Demsrule86]

2. That is a really good point...thanks K&R

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Hannity-- you are revolting. War actually does happen to be hell, and every war...

we have been in has had grieving parents. I don't remember many of them pissing and moaning about FDR or Truman not paying proper respect to their dead sons and daughters. Nor Nixon or Reagan, or either Bush.

This time a President attended to arrival of the dead, and for that he is criticized. Looking at his watch my ass. Saying he's out of line mentioning that he lost a son, too.

These parents don't deserve the sons who made the ultimate sacrifice. And Hannity doesn't deserve to live on the same planet as they do.

[marie999]

35. Paraphrasing Hawkeye, war is worse than Hell. Innocent people don't go to Hell.

[ClimateHawk]

4. I'm sorry but Republicans are scum. Bottom of the barrel.

[Evolve Dammit]

14. No need to be sorry for the truth. Welcome to DU!

[ClimateHawk]

20. Thanks. I've actually been on DU for years.

Just don't post much.

[Evolve Dammit]

34. I didn't post at all for 10 years or so. I just appreciated the company.

[Moebym]

5. I've been trying to balance my sympathy for the grieving families

With my anger at a few of them for going to the media to spread the lie that Biden was distracted and disrespectful. It's not easy.

They are allowed to do this with no push-back because no one in the media or outside wants to be seen criticizing grieving parents for fear they will be tagged as insensitive themselves. We're still only days past this attack, so it's understandable, but my question is, will they be given this cover indefinitely to lie about the president - a cover Biden is no longer afforded even though his grief over his son's death is as raw as it was six years ago?

[PortTack]

6. He looked at his watch at the end of the ceremony. Who doesn't??!! Geez

[wellst0nev0ter]

10. Actually, that claim has been walked back by USAToday

Corrections & Clarifications: This story was updated Sept. 2 to note that Biden checked his watch multiple times at the dignified transfer event, including during the ceremony itself. The rating on this claim has been changed from partly false to missing context.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/09/01/fact-check-biden-checked-watch-after-ceremony-dover-air-force-base/5663427001/

It should have been Biden appeared to have checked his watch multiple times during the ceremony. What he was actually doing was looking at Beau's rosary.

[Treefrog]

12. Yeah, I only saw the one time.

But it was clear he was looking at his watch.

[PortTack]

18. Yes...

[LakeArenal]

19. No shit. I think spending time discussing this on DU cuz Hannity said or did something sleazy.

Gives credence to FUXer’s claims.

Now it’s several times he viewed his watch

Next it will be he was checking the race at Belmont or some stupid claim.

[kcr]

29. Yes, enough with the concern trolling about "facts"

They don't deal in facts, whether they are making their own claims or claiming ours are fake.

[JohnnyRingo]

72. And that's how the echo machine works.

Instead of waning each time it gets louder and more absurd.

hello
hello fox
hello fox news
HELLO FOX NEWS YOU SUCK
HELLO FOX NEWS YOU SUCK AND GFY

See how that works?

[Susan Calvin]

7. Somebody needs to tell Snopes.

I would if I knew how.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-check-watch-13/

[Susan Calvin]

9. Just figured out how and did so.

Apparently it was a Fox reporter, believe it or not, that originally questioned the looking at the watch narrative. Although anybody who knows Biden should have immediately wondered about it and thought that cannot possibly be what he's doing, there must be some other explanation.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/crooksandliars.com/2021/09/fox-bret-baier-says-biden-may-have-been/amp

[wellst0nev0ter]

11. You're doing God's work n/t

[demigoddess]

49. thank you.

[markpkessinger]

59. I'd like to think thnis was the case . . .

. . . but in the photo where he is looking towards his wrist, the rosary bracelet appears to be tucked under his cuff of his shirt sleeve. Not a very convincing argument.

[Treefrog]

63. I know.

Refusing to see what is right in front of us is pointless.

[Susan Calvin]

66. He knew the rosary beads were there.

And I find it very difficult to believe that Joe Biden would repeatedly check his watch. I do think that it was a mistake on his part not to refrain from looking where the rosary beads were in this case, or not to make sure the rosary beads were visible. It's a shame to have to say that, I feel like I'm telling him to politicize his son's death. But other people are sure going to do that.

[Treefrog]

70. I only saw him do it once, toward the end.

But he was clearly looking at his watch.

No doubt he was tired from standing so long. I know I would be and I’m much younger.

[wellst0nev0ter]

74. Looks like I need to draw another circle

See? Beads are completely visible, above the watch.

This smear campaign is out of line.

[markpkessinger]

77. Right but what you're showing is hanging from the underside of his wrist . . .

. . . And his arm is positioned such that he would be looking at the top of his wrist. That part hanging down wouldn't even be in his line of sight.

I'm sorry, but you're really stretching here.

[littlemissmartypants]

8. Frequently there are things people do, that when observed by others,

they're misunderstood.

Every time, someone else decides to comment or explain those things to someone else, there is ALWAYS misunderstanding.

And every, time they comment, those same people are operating in the realm of

NONE OF YOUR DAMNED BUSINESS.


It's apalling that so many people, especially current and former service members and their families have no sense of decorum and relentlessly disrespect the President of the United States.

It's the symptom of a sick society.

[doc03]

13. Trump called the dead soldiers losers and suckers. You can tell they are Trump voters

they all have that bitter brainwashed look.

[Evolve Dammit]

16. Exactly! And Biden gets shit for possibly checking the time. Go F yourselves, GOP. All of you.

[ClimateHawk]

15. "A lie will go round the world while the truth is pulling its boots on." - C. H. Spurgeon

[Snackshack]

21. It doesn't matter..

It’s how it looks and if the look allows for a twisting of perception into an “alternate fact” that’s what they will do.

I don’t know if Biden uses PR people or handlers but if so they should have warned him before hand. To be mindful and not cause any self inflicted wounds.

[Susan Calvin]

67. Bingo. nt

[lame54]

22. He needs to move it to the other wrist

[littlemissmartypants]

39. Maybe he keeps it on the left, because some people believe that goes to the heart?

There would probably be complaints about him looking at his right wrist. If he taped it to his forehead where he couldn't see it without a mirror, someone else would complain.

It's none of my business what and why he does what he does or what he needs to do.

I'm just thankful, he's our President.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

23. Schmitz and Hoover would rather have...

The former guy, who called America’s war dead “suckers” and “losers”, who went to Arlington and told a general he just couldn’t understand what would lead a person to give his life for his country.

Fuck them.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

24. Widow of Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss who died from the Kabul attack had to say of her meeting with Joe

Link to tweet

[Moebym]

30. But, see, no one is interested in positive stories

Because those don't sell.

[niyad]

52. Funny how the corporate media is not reporting THAT.

[Jon King]

25. MAGAts even use their own son's death for their sick politics.

It is what it is, these people are pure evil, whether they lost a son or not.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

26. Yes. Dishonoring their children's sacrifice

To score political points. Beyond sickening.

[mountain grammy]

27. Bet they got plenty of warm sympathetic comments from trump..

no? what? oh yeah, he calls dead soldiers "losers."

[Sogo]

28. I love Joe Biden. I voted for Joe Biden. I caucused for Joe Biden as far back as 2008.

Last edited Mon Sep 6, 2021, 05:28 PM - Edit history (2)

Having said all that, I would have preferred that he didn't "check his watch" (if that's what he was doing) or make an overt gesture "in remembrance of his son" at the time he was there as Commander in Chief to show respect to these fallen soldiers and to support their families. Just my feeling and humble opinion....

[Moebym]

32. He invoked Beau's death

to demonstrate that he understands all too well what it's like to lose an adult child, and one who served his country so admirably at that, just as the 13 deceased soldiers had.

Biden wasn't at all trying to make that event all about his own loss - and most people know this - but that's how it's been played in the media.

Who knew that his attempts at finding common ground, as empaths tend to do, would blow up in his face like this?

[uponit7771]

62. +1,

[SergeStorms]

31. I don't give a damn if HE WAS looking....

at his watch. Christ on a cracker, the President of the United States of America's time is always at a premium. Every day a real president has precious few minutes to spare between his tightly scheduled appointments.

Does anyone actually believe Trump would have attended this ceremony at all? Dragging him away from one of his precious golf courses was next to impossible!

He would have sent the overly holy Mike Pence and "Mother" in his place, and the fucking media wouldnt have mentioned a word about it.

The media is once again making a mountain out of a mole hill, because they feel guilty about reporting all of Trump's actual transgressions, so they feel they have to manufacture some for Biden.

This shit pisses me off. I'm sorry these relatives lost loved ones in the troop withdrawal Donald Trump manufactured, but just because they happen to be right-wing reactionaries themselves, doesn't mean they get to insult the President for something so small and petty, that it strains the boundaries of reality. And the media plays right along, and magnifies it 1000 times the actual attention it deserves.

[FBaggins]

46. I do...

Perception is important.

The President doesn't have to show up at Dover... they can care just as much about our fallen soldiers from Washington.

But when they go, they go to send a message. To the families, to the country, whatever. It's all a "perception" moment. Everything from your body language to tears in your eyes sends a message. In some sense, it's theater... but that doesn't mean that it isn't also real.

This is almost certainly a story where the "real" is exactly what we would want it to be... but the "theater" aspects were slightly mishandled in a way that harms the message. A political advisor on her game would have recommended that he not wear his watch. It would have been a touching story without it (so there was no question that it was the rosary that he was looking at).

[Susan Calvin]

69. That is darn good advice not to wear a watch.

I don't say he was looking at it, I actually think he wasn't. But if you have a watch on your wrist, it can be very hard to restrain yourself from looking at it.

[Walleye]

33. There was a cat 4 hurricane bearing down on the gulf coast and he had a FEMA meeting to organize

[Orrex]

36. A Republican could fuck a goat to death on live tv, and it would be ok

But a Democrat is crucified for using the wrong fork at a luncheon they attended in 1994.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

47. Biden could develop the cure for cancer and the GQP would cheer for cancer.

It's in their DNA -- which they don't believe in because, y'know, it's science.

[Treefrog]

37. I voted for Biden and support him.

But those two pictures you post are obviously from different times.

I wish he hadn’t checked his watch, but he did.

He’s the President, so it makes sense. He’s on a schedule.

[wellst0nev0ter]

42. I posted a closeup of the first photo so that you can see the beads more clearly

And I posted the third photo so that you can see the beads he was wearing on a different occasion.

Biden was NOT looking at his watch. I hope this clears it up.

[FBaggins]

60. The closeup of the first photo makes pretty clear that he isn't

You can see them from the camera angle, but you can also see that the wearer wouldn't be able to see them.

If the President said that's what he was doing, it would be different. But there's no reason to assume it from the photos.

[wellst0nev0ter]

61. Biden was not just looking at his watch, period

I refuse to believe that my president would be that callous, especially when he is wearing Beau's rosary beads.

[Sogo]

38. So, what you're saying is that we actually ARE witness to fake news in this instance.

Has President Biden responded at all to this criticism?

[littlemissmartypants]

40. Why should he?

[Sogo]

41. Oh, I don't know; maybe to set the record straight?

The pictures in the OP do, in fact, look as if he is checking his watch.

Not that he isn't entitled to check his watch or look at his rosary in memory of Beau, but that moment in time, however fleeting, is captured for an eternity in a picture. Don't forget, GHWB lost a major Presidential debate over checking his watch. It stayed with him for his entire campaign....

[littlemissmartypants]

45. As a matter of fact, I had forgotten what GB had done.

It's not something that needs to be explained.

He's already caught crap for talking about Beau. Why validate and signal boost the attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill?

I don't think the comments need legitimizing by comments from the debase, ignorant people who think it's news.

Maybe he should tell us his shoe size, his pants size or (__fill in the blank__) so someone else can complain about and ruminate on that.

Where are the grown-ups?

Have we all become rude busy bodies?

Have we nothing better to do with our brief time here on earth?

I'm doing laundry and that's more important to me than anyone looking at their watch and multitudes writing about it and complaining.

[wellst0nev0ter]

44. Biden probably didn't want to use his son for political cover

He privately tried to reach out to Schmitz, but that man refused his call.

But as you can see, the rosary was right next to the watch. The evidence was right there for the mainstream media to verify, but they refuse to do so.

[Blue Owl]

43. Anyone M$M stooge who is making a deal out of this can go fuck themselves

[ZonkerHarris]

48. Mark Shitz

[WarGamer]

50. I wasn't in Joe's head so I can't say what he was looking at.

But the twist of the wrist to align the face of the watch to a 90* angle to his face doesn't help...

If one were to look down to glance at a bracelet, or a rosary in this case the most common gesture would be to turn the wrist IN and look down with your palms up.

But obviously... the RW are going to focus on this like they do every tiny thing that they exaggerate.

Although... that's politics, right?

[wellst0nev0ter]

53. I refuse to engage in Monday morning optics quarterbacking with this issue

That is what the goops and the M$M want from us, and I refuse to play their game.

Biden would not disrespect the troops like that. If he did those gestures, it was for a damn good reason.

And the damn good reason is that he wears Beau's rosary on his left wrist.

[WarGamer]

55. It's a free country... take it as you will.

All I said was flipping the wrist BACK towards the face to align the eyes to the face of the watch at a 90* angle isn't helpful.

Me personally, I don't get worked up by crap like this... just like I didn't care if TFG had 2 scoops of ice cream or 12 scoops.

[rockfordfile]

57. Well the truth is the GOP hates our troops. To desperately put up a lie about checking his watch

[fescuerescue]

51. Is Biden ok with using his son as political cover?

Personally I doubt it.

Presidents make gaffes. ALL of them. The ones we like. The ones we don't.

Biden would tell you that.

But I doubt he would use his dead son to cover for a silly gaffe.

Unless Biden comes out and makes a statement, I think this is best ignored and he really doesn't need one of us trying to speak for him.

[wellst0nev0ter]

54. Of course Biden is not going to use his son as political cover

And maybe he regrets how the optics played out.

Then that's on the rest of us to push back against the lies.

Don't leave the lies standing there, or the goops win.

[fescuerescue]

56. well the OP seems to think its ok.

[rockfordfile]

58. The truth is republicans are desperate and all the lies they spew isn't working

[fescuerescue]

64. Well sure. Politicians lie because they are liars

And that won't change anytime soon.

But I think we are getting off on a tangent.

[Act_of_Reparation]

65. At this point, I don't understand why we bother engaging with this shit.

Their guy said the most awful shit about veterans and fallen soldiers. These aren't good-faith criticisms they're making here. Fuck 'em.

[JI7]

68. Yes, this is letting them lead us around with their bs

Biden's record and history is out there. People who WANT to believe this will do so regardless of anything else. The same ones that will ignore all the things Trump said .

[JohnnyRingo]

71. I think he was looking at his watch.

But what kind of petty whine ass moron would give a flying fuck if he was? I don't.
People glance at their watch all the time. At funerals, at church, at the ball game, and even at weddings.

This isn't about Biden showing disrespect, it's all about partisan outrage that should elicit an eye roll and nothing more. Trump could have been there shooting texts to a porn star and these assholes would have thanked him for giving up his time for his country.

[Jakes Progress]

73. Will any of the uniformed deplorable

that worship at the Fox altar, even hear about this?

No. They don't read the Post or the Times. Hell they don't read. And Fox is determined to make more money by playing the anger and fear card to these ignorant sheep. That's all the "news" they get.

[Tommymac]

75. Corporate Media spin at work once again.

Thanks Koch and Murdoch families.

May you both rot in hell for eternity and your offspring suffer the slings and arrows of history in perpetuity.

(We really need a finger smilie.)

[sammythecat]

76. If this was a photo of any other man in the world

and we were asked, "What is this man doing?" all of us, every single one of us, would say this man is looking at his watch. Then we'd likely say something like, "So what?".

I fully share the anger and disgust at those self-righteous hypocrites using this nothing-burger to smear the character of Joe Biden, but all the effort here trying to contort the obvious into something it plainly is not is just dismaying and embarrassing.